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Artist featured in The Heart’s Desire (October 3, 2026, to September 12, 2027)
Faissal El-Malak b. 1988, Windsor, UK; lives and works in London and Dubai
Faissal El-Malak’s practice is based on images that exist in the subconscious. This subconscious is conjured through a variety of healing meditative practices and dreams where symbols, people and scenes appear in the blank canvas of his mind’s eye. These images serve as icons or talismans offering keys to the release of trauma. He looks to capture the absurdity of the symbols encountered by making them visually tangible and revealing the logic behind the unusual associations presented. His approach is characterized by joy, staging, and references to the power dynamics of theater.
El-Malak is a Palestinian artist, vocalist, healer and designer, whose work has been presented at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London, the Lisbon Architecture Triennale and Amman Design Week. Winner of the Vogue Arabia DDFC Fashion Prize, he has also participated in Design Ras Al Khor (Dubai Design Week) and exhibited at the NYU Abu Dhabi Art Gallery in the exhibition Between the Tides. His film The Lizard of My Dream was shown at Frame Rush Festival in London and the Reel Palestine Film Festival in Dubai.
In 2024, he was commissioned by Hermès to create inaugural installations for its new boutiques in Bahrain and Abu Dhabi. He holds an MFA from Goldsmiths, University of London, where his work received the Warden Prize, and was also awarded the Emirati Futurism Award for his film Embroidery for a Long Song.
Image: Portrait of Faissal El-Malak. ©Carmen Gray
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